CHICO — The largest cycling event in the United States may be making its way to Butte County in 2010, potentially drawing the likes of bicycling legend Lance Armstrong to the area.

The Amgen Tour of California — the country’s largest bicycle road race — takes place in eight stages throughout California next May. Officials and chamber members from Chico, Oroville and Paradise are working to bring a piece of the tour to Butte County.

“The tour has never been this far north,” said Claudia Knaus, executive director of the Oroville Chamber of Commerce. “We’re making a regional effort to bring the tour here and showcase what we have in Butte County.”

Ed McLaughlin, longtime Chico bicycling advocate, said the event would be a true highlight for the community, adding that cities that have hosted the tour in the past “raved about the economic benefit.”

“This is rapidly becoming one of the biggest bike races in the world,” McLaughlin said. ” It’s attracting big teams and big sponsors.”

Professional cyclists from more than 27 different countries — including American rider Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner — participated in the 2009 event, which historically draws a large number of cyclist spectators to the cities the tour passes through.

Although Knaus said Chico will likely be the main city to host the event if their proposal is granted, she said the bike tour could potentially run through Oroville and Paradise as well.

“We’re hoping it can go through all three towns,” Knaus said. “We’re real excited to be working together to make this a possibility.”

Together with McLaughlin, city managers from Chico, Oroville and Paradise, along with members from each city’s chamber of commerce, have been furiously working to submit an official proposal to tour organizers. The local organizing committee is headed by Katie Simmons of the Paradise Chamber and Chico business owner David Weathers.

Chico Chamber President and CEO Jolene Francis said the regional group has been meeting for the past six weeks, with hopes of submitting a proposal request before the June 1 deadline.

A handful of cities will be selected from a pool of more than 80, Francis said, adding that there is a growing level of excitement that Butte County could be one of the stops on the tour’s map. The 2010 host cities will be announced in July.

“It’s very exciting,” Francis said.

The “big venture” will take a significant amount of time and effort, even in these early stages, Francis said, but added if the proposal is granted, Butte County would see significant benefits.

“I can’t quote an exact dollar amount, but the impact would be huge,” Francis said. “This would put us on the map as a world-renowned cycling area.”

Santa Clarita in Southern California estimates the event generated $2 million when the city hosted a stop in 2007.

Tour organizers said the event drew more than 1.6 million spectators this year and the event was televised internationally. It didn’t come farther north than Sacramento, however.

Staff writer Toni Scott can be reached at 533-3136 or tscott@orovillemr.com.